One of the greatest sopranos of her time: British francophile singer Felicity Lott has died.

Felicity Lott was highly regarded in the United Kingdom and also in France, her homeland. The renowned British soprano passed away on Friday at the age of 79, her agent announced on Sunday.

In an interview with the BBC last Monday, the artist revealed that she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago. Felicity Lott faced “her illness with great dignity and complete acceptance” and “remained elegant and stylish throughout”, according to her agent, Sue Spence.

Over her four-decade career, the singer, nicknamed “Flott”, performed in operas and concert halls around the world, known for her interpretations of works by Richard Strauss, Jacques Offenbach, and Mozart.

Born in 1947 in Cheltenham, in the west of England, this music lover started playing the piano at the age of five, then singing and playing the violin at 12. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and made her opera debut in 1975, stepping in to play Pamina in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”.

Felicity Lott regularly performed at the BBC Proms classical music festival and was knighted by Elizabeth II in 1996. She was also awarded the Legion of Honor in France.

The Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera in London praised her as “one of the greatest sopranos of her time, celebrated worldwide for the grace and pure beauty of her voice”, which maintained its “authenticity and British self-deprecation”.

The Paris Opera also paid tribute to Felicity Lott, noting her “deeply affectionate relationship with France”, where she spent a year as an English assistant in a high school near Grenoble before entering the Royal Academy.

During her time at the Grenoble Conservatory, Felicity Lott was discovered by Professor Élisabeth Maximovic, who recognized her rare talent and encouraged her to become a singer.

“Felicity Lott brought the French repertoire to life with an incomparable diction, unique sensitivity, and sincere love for French culture, which earned her the faithful admiration of the French public throughout her career,” according to the Paris Opera.